TY - JOUR
T1 - Ongoing shielding behavior one year post COVID-19
T2 - results from a longitudinal study of patients with inflammatory arthritis
AU - Sweeney, Melissa
AU - Carpenter, Lewis
AU - de Souza, Savia
AU - Chaplin, Hema
AU - Tung, Hsiu
AU - Caton, Emma
AU - Galloway, James
AU - Cope, Andrew
AU - Yates, Mark
AU - Nikiphorou, Elena
AU - Norton, Sam
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Many patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) were instructed to shield during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ending of lockdowns and vaccination, large proportions of IA patients were continuing to shield when it is no longer needed. Given the detrimental effects of shielding on mental and physical health, understanding the rates and reasons for shielding is needed to help clinicians advise patients accordingly. This study was a 12-month prospective study following participants with IA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportions of IA patients shielding at each time point were calculated. Additionally, regressions and odds ratios for shielding were determined to assess medication type, mental health, and risk perception. While the extent of shielding fluctuated over the year of lockdowns, nearly all IA patients (93.5%) were still engaging in some shielding in 2021, with nearly half (43%) still shielding most or all of the time. Medications that were previously considered higher risk were not significantly associated with higher rates of shielding (OR = 1.60, p = 0.29), but greater symptoms of depression in June 2020 (OR = 1.07, p = 0.03) was both associated with increased the odds of shielding in June 2021. The high rates of IA patients continuing to shield in 2021 put more strain on patients and professionals as social isolation is linked with worsening mental and physical health, as well as greater difficulty with self-management. It is important for clinicians to be aware of this trend to ease the stress on patients.
AB - Many patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) were instructed to shield during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ending of lockdowns and vaccination, large proportions of IA patients were continuing to shield when it is no longer needed. Given the detrimental effects of shielding on mental and physical health, understanding the rates and reasons for shielding is needed to help clinicians advise patients accordingly. This study was a 12-month prospective study following participants with IA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportions of IA patients shielding at each time point were calculated. Additionally, regressions and odds ratios for shielding were determined to assess medication type, mental health, and risk perception. While the extent of shielding fluctuated over the year of lockdowns, nearly all IA patients (93.5%) were still engaging in some shielding in 2021, with nearly half (43%) still shielding most or all of the time. Medications that were previously considered higher risk were not significantly associated with higher rates of shielding (OR = 1.60, p = 0.29), but greater symptoms of depression in June 2020 (OR = 1.07, p = 0.03) was both associated with increased the odds of shielding in June 2021. The high rates of IA patients continuing to shield in 2021 put more strain on patients and professionals as social isolation is linked with worsening mental and physical health, as well as greater difficulty with self-management. It is important for clinicians to be aware of this trend to ease the stress on patients.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Inflammatory arthritis
KW - Mental health
KW - Shielding
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170360994&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00296-023-05430-2
DO - 10.1007/s00296-023-05430-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 37691070
AN - SCOPUS:85170360994
SN - 0172-8172
VL - 44
SP - 67
EP - 71
JO - Rheumatology International
JF - Rheumatology International
IS - 1
ER -
